LIFE CALL 2017Novelties, Close to Market, Applying successfully
Fabio LeoneHead of Sector / Unit B.3 LIFE and Eco-Innovation, EASME
Anne VermaelenHead of Sector / Unit C.1 Finance, EASME
31 May Brussels
WHO DOES WHAT IN LIFE?
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WHAT IS LIFE FINANCING?
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LIFE 2014-2020 – Priority Areas
Environment sub-programmeEnvironment & Resource Efficiency (ENV-RE)Nature & Biodiversity (NAT, BIO)Environmental Governance & Information (GIE)
Climate Action sub-programme Climate Change Mitigation (CCM) Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Climate Change Governance & Information (GIC)
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LIFE 2017 – TRADITIONAL PROJECTS
LIFE Call 2017 opening: 28 April 2017AREA CLOSING BUDGET 17 (€ Mil.) ~ % vs 2016
CLIMATE 07-Sep-17 € 52.1 +10%
ENV-RE 12-Sep-17 € 83 +10%
NAT 14-Sep-17 € 101.9 +5%
GIE 14-Sep-17 € 16.9 -12%
IPE 26-Sep-17 € 86 + 10%
IPC 26-Sep-17 € 30 + 53%
TA 07-Sep-17 € 300k +47%
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE CALL 2017?
For all LIFE strands: Encouraging up-taking of results from researchForm B3: Projects concerned by up-taking
results from EU financed research projects (FPs/H2020), will have to describe comprehensively how those results will be used in the LIFE project
This can drive to an additional point in the scoring
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LIFE 2014-2017 MAWP
Stronger emphasis on:Long term sustainability of the project
Replicability and transferability
Impacts (impacts indicators)
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE CALL (from 2016)?
Further clarifications on sustainability and replicability
More specifications on EU added value in terms of quantifiable impacts/benefits
Welcoming and encouraging "close-to-market" projects (ENV, CLIMA)
More stringent control on double-funding and value added vs previously financed LIFE projects
Focus on "implementation" of solutions (e.g. DSS, tools, etc.). I.e. concrete activities for the uptake and use of tools developed by relevant actors, during the project duration.
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE CALL (from 2016)?
Transferability and Replication: Mandatory deliverable: Transferability and Replication Plan
(ENV-RE, CLIMA proposals)
Sustainability: Mandatory deliverable: Exploitation Plan as part of the After-
LIFE Plan (ENV-RE and CLIMA proposals)
Mandatory Deliverable for "close-to-market" projects: Business Plan (ENV-RE and CLIMA proposals)
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CLOSE TO MARKET PROJECTS
CLOSE TO MARKET (C2M) PROJECTS
LIFE always supported C2M projects (without calling them C2M)
Projects that implement environmental/climate solution in close-to-market conditions (i.e.: industrial, commercial scale) in the short-medium term
Projects which have clear technical and business perspective
Projects that foresee pre-commercial activities and plan them during the application stage (e.g. market analysis, business plan, etc.)
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WHY C2M PROJECTS?
C2M is suitable especially for ENV-RE and CCM priority areas
LIFE contributes to the main priorities of Commissioner Juncker on Growth and Jobs
The former Eco-innovation programme beneficiaries are a good target audience for C2M - SMEs ready to upscale and go to the market
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WHY C2M PROJECTS?
Projects with C2M approach can contribute to increased sustainability and, accordingly, impact positively the environment and climate action
LIFE as one-stop-shop for businesses from innovation, demonstration, upscaling to commercialisation
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IS THE FOCUS OF LIFE CHANGING?
No but…Emphasis to attract C2M applicants, and
Explicitly reach out to the private sector
Non-C2M projects remain a key feature of LIFE
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APPLYING SUCCESSFULLY TO LIFE
KEY CHALLENGES
There is significant competition for LIFE funds
It takes time and money to prepare an application
Proposals that fail are poorly prepared or simply not as good as the others, funding is limited
You can't get a grant if you don't submit an application
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MUST READ
LIFE Regulation, in particular the priority areas Multi-annual work-programme – project
topics Application Packages and Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ) Guides for evaluation of LIFE project proposals LIFE website, in particular LIFE project
database Evaluation comments from previous
submissions
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PROJECT DESIGN - I
Baseline description should be detailedenough as it is essential for evaluating the project impacts (AW1)
Replication and/or transfer needs to be taken into account and related project actions need to be well conceived (AW6)
Activities/plans to ensure sustainability of the project results are absolutely crucial! (AW1)
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PROJECT DESIGN - II
The sequence of actions should be logical and clearly linked to project description (part B of application) (AW1)
Expected results and quantitative estimations of projects impacts (during and 3/5 years after project end) (AW3)
Clear description of staff involved in specific actions (AW1)
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PROJECT DESIGN - III
Transnational projects: the proposal has to show that there is sufficient
evidence for an added value of the transnational approach (If such evidence can be provided, the proposal will be considered for a higher scoring in the project selection process and will therefore have a higher chance of being selected for co-funding - AW7)
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PROJECT DESIGN - IV
Limit the number of actions to the ones essential to achieve the project objectives
Partnership structure: look for complementarity and avoid redundancy of expertise (key stakeholders should be involved)
Project duration should take into account: Sufficient time to gather information about the impact
of project activities
Delays in obtaining permits and authorisations
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Solid analysis of the problem, state of play and solution proposed (baseline)
Key stakeholders involved (incl. users)
Robust assessment of impacts over the life cycle of the solution proposed
Clear strategy on how to sustain and multiply the impacts
Good design Common problems
Insufficient background information (why, who and how)
Rationale for projects is defined during the project
Objectives too broad, too many
Poor partnership (partners don’t fit regarding know-how or insufficient budget)
Over-optimistic / unrealistic or lack of quantification of impacts
Replication confused with networking and dissemination
Vague plans to sustain the project/results after project end
PROJECT DESIGN
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ESTABLISHING THE PROJECT BUDGETGENERAL REMARKS
Read the model grant agreement (new version), Annex X, FAQ and application guide Art. II.10 (award of contracts), Art. II.11
(subcontracting), Art. II.19 (eligible costs), Art. II.21 (affiliated entities)
Be realistic!
Only costs within project duration (except audit/final reporting)
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FINANCIAL APPLICATION FORMS(F1- F8) Put costs in the correct cost category (F-forms)
Round costs to the nearest EUR
Each beneficiary to include its own/affiliate's costs No subcontracting between beneficiaries/affiliates
Avoid internal invoicing => costs to be included in the appropriate category
No VAT to be included unless it cannot be recovered (to be proven by certificate tax authorities) and for public bodies no VAT for activities engaged in as a public body
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PERSONNEL COST – ALL PARTNERS
Only costs related to employees /personnel with an equivalent appointing act (e.g. secondment) or contracts with natural persons (e.g. consultancy/civil contracts) which are assigned to the project
Ensure that tasks are carried out by the appropriate staff level
Number of person days
Daily rate
Daily rate = Yearly salary cost/Yearly productive days Salary cost includes social security contribution & other statutory costs (see
Annex X)
Productive days = 261 – holidays - illness
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PERSONNEL COST – PUBLIC BODIES
Only costs re. activities that would not have been carried out if the project would not have been undertaken
2% rule: sum of public body contributions (beneficiaries) MUST exceed by at least 2% the salary cost of non-additional staff
Additional staff = permanent/temporary staff whose contracts or contract renewals start
On or after the start date of the project
On or after the signature of the grant agreement (if before start)
Specifically seconded/assigned to the project
Contract renewal <> contract re-assignment
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EQUIPMENT/INFRASTRUCTURE / PROTOTYPE General principle = only depreciated costs up to a limit
50% total purchase cost of equipment
25% total purchase cost of infrastructure
Exceptions where the eligible cost can be 100% of purchase cost
Prototypes (specifically created for the project/not available as serial product/not commercialised)
Nature projects: public bodies/ non for profit organisations if they fulfil certain conditions (definitive assignment to nature conservation activities after end of the project)
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SUBCONTRACTING
Only for implementation of limited part of the project(max. 35% of budget unless justified)
Only if really necessary for the implementation
In principle not for project management unless justified
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OTHER COSTS
Resulting directly from requirements imposed by the grant agreement
Financial guarantees (no need to budget upfront – will be communicated during the revision stage)
Audit certificate (costs of beneficiaries with Union Contribution at least 325,000 EUR)
Translation costs
Costs for dissemination materials
…
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OVERHEADS
Flat rate
Max. 7% of total direct eligible costs excluding land purchase/LT lease/one-off compensations
Maximum is per beneficiary
Fair share of the overall overheads of the beneficiary
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AWARD OF CONTRACTS
To tender offering best value for money/lowest price
No conflict of interest
Indicate type of procedure to be used (or used), use the types mentioned in the application guide
Public bodies = public procurement rules!
Private entities = use internal rules organisation BUT obligation to use an 'open' tendering procedure > 135 000 EUR (no salami slicing to avoid this procedure!)
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FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED ISSUES1. FINANCIAL VIABILITY CHECK Union requested contribution project > 750,000 EUR,
private applicant (coordinator) to submit audit report produced by an approved external auditor certifying the accounts for the last financial year available
This is a requirement even if the applicant is not required by law to have his accounts certified!
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FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED ISSUES2. SOLE TRADERS Are considered Natural Persons => not eligible
Entities owned and run by one individual where there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business, no distinction between own assets and assets of the business
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FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED ISSUES3. AFFILIATED ENTITIES We may accept inclusion of mother/daughter companies to
assist private beneficiaries in the project (incl. members of associations)
Clear identification needed (incl. acronym affiliate in description field of particular cost item)
Need to comply with eligibility & non-exclusion criteria applying to the applicants
Should demonstrate their legal/capital link with beneficiary concerned or membership
Beneficiary remains responsible for the affiliate In case of an important role in project => associated
beneficiary
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REMEMBER
Be clear and precise – applications are only evaluated on what is submitted (not on the potential of the idea)
Read documents
Read about and talk to ongoing projects
Check the LIFE Database of funded projectshttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm
!!! START EARLY!!!
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTIONhttp://ec.europa.eu/life
@LIFE_Programme facebook.com/LIFE.programme flickr.com/life_programme